New foster parent recruiter for Trussville area

By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — Youth Villages has named LaRita Smith its new foster parent recruiter for the Trussville area.

Smith will be informing the community about Youth Villages’ foster care program and providing free orientation sessions and training classes for people who are interested in becoming foster parents.

LaRita Smithsubmitted photo

Smith, a lifelong resident of Trussville, is a licensed bachelor social worker and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a concentration in corrections from Jacksonville State University. She has an extensive amount of experience in the social work field, working for organizations such as Gateway, the Salvation Army, the Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity’s Head Start Program, the Children’s Aid Society and Seraaj Family Homes, Inc.

“I wanted to recruit foster parents because I am an adult adoptee, and the call for me to make a difference on another level was very strong,” Smith said. “Because I have experienced the foster care system personally, it is rewarding and satisfying to me to make sure foster children are safe and find permanent homes.”

Foster parents should be over the age of 25 and live in the Trussville area. Foster parents should have viable income, reliable transportation and be able to pass a background check and home study.

Youth Villages provides foster parents with access to counselors, support groups and a monthly stipend to offset the cost of adding a child to the home. Foster parents also often have the first right to adopt if the child becomes available for adoption.